The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-01-29

| Obituary.
Eli Strawn, one Of the earliest settlers o
La Sale county, died suddenly on saturds.
night Jan 22nd at his dwelling In West OF
tawa Of heart disease. an ailment with which
he had long been afflicted. He retired tina
evening apparently feeling better than usual
ana in the morning when called for break
fast and not responding. hi, room door wa
opened and he WAS found partially sitting Oh
he edge Of his bed. partially dressed an,
his slippers on his feet, cold in death
Whether he died as he was about to retir
and had began to undress, or, in the nigh
after a premonitory symptom of the ap
proaching crisis, or, while trying to ris,
from bed. will never be known. He was no
heard during the night and none of tn,
household knew anything of the sad even
ill the spectre of death was found in their
| midst.
Mr.. Strawn was born in Perry Co, Ohio
March 81, 1917. He was the oldest son OF
the late Jeremiah SLrawn, and came to OF.
tawa October, 1S3 }, rs he states IN an article
on his early experiences in this state, which
he handed reporter of the PeEE TRACER at
the last meeting of the "0d Settlers" in his
city. He says: "lR October, 1910, ford
ed the Fox river at i s confluence with the
Illinois river, with four horse team attache cd
TO q prairie schooner" driven with 'sin.
gle line" In this wagon were my father,
Jeremiah Strawn, John Shaver, Tom Haley,
and Alex Wilson. The Fox river has grown
too deep 10 ford at its mouth since crossed
it nearly Sc years ago with that span of bays
and grays--as good as Ohio produced
There WAS then hut one house anG that COZ
tanned but one room. where the city OF o..
tswa now slands. | settled on the north
bluffs, near Ottawa, July 81, 1883, and lived
there 81 years. then moved to lroquois
Co, in this state, where remained seventeen
years and then returned to Ottawa where
now reside and am able to enjoy his annual
picnic with the old settlers Of this county,
for which am very thankful"
Mr. Strawn was married to Eleanor Broad
dus, Of Lacon, Marshall Co, Jan. |, 1888.
She died the most awful death that can ral
to the lot of man of hydrophobm She had
been bitten by q pet poodle dog t,Oenty "iar
gears before. She went down cellar one
morning for milk, ana sud ienly came up In
a great fright, her eyes rod as GOALS and
glowing with fearful light. and exclaimed
to her husband. "0h, Eli there is y
strange dog in the cellar and it frightened
me! The next moment she began to imi
tate tho barking of dog and went into
spasms. These followed at intervals graIu
ally shorter ana each succeeding fit longer
and more tcrriable in ils agony of pain, ill
at last the poor sufferer was kindly release
by death. By his uniou with this estimate
lady there came six children Chris. G. n
lawyer at Pontiic, Franklin. of MAnhLtian,
Kansas; Martha, the wife OF W. A. Barry
Iroquoi5 Co; Nancy, wde orStm II. Thomp
son. of Lacon Henry L, of Manhattan,
Kansas and Douglass, who died yesrs ago
In 1864, MIR, StrnWu married Mrs. Mary &.
Dean, of In Sale, they have one child Myra,
aged II years. Mr.. Strawu was u man oi
much business capacity and handled large
amount of money, the result of speculations
in land. farming. and Of buying and sellinZ
ccttie. lie was strictly honest man. sn
affectiona'e father and q liberal public citi-
zen. Tie funeral occurred on Wednesday,
at the Methods. church where an able ser
mon was preached by the pastor. Rev MIR
Holmes.